Machiavellianism
by kaleidoscope-dream
Summary: AU. Matoba meets a young Natsume and takes a special interest in him. Can they help each other heal from their pasts, or are they on a path leading to destruction?
1. Lost and Found

To become the leader of the Matoba clan, there were two conditions. One, the person had to be of Matoba descent. The blood of their ancestors had to run strongly through the candidate's veins or the demon that sought retribution would take more than the promised eye. And two, the successor was required to have a powerful ayakashi at his or her command. It was a showcase of power, authority, and control to the other great clans.

Matoba Seiji disliked these customs as much as he disliked youkai. He refused when the current Head of the clan ordered him to find his familiar, to go searching and not come back until he found a being worthy of him. She may have been his mother, but he wasn't about to search for something he would not find. No ayakashi would stand beside him. Not a single foul demon had that right.

His mother didn't want to hear that and left him no choice, no way out, so his quest for a 'worthy' familiar began in vain. "I'm off," Seiji called, lackluster, and tightened his shoelaces at the front door. When he stood, there was no real conviction in his actions, no motivation to do his best.

"Have a safe trip," his mother replied, and it was a touch sarcastic.

Seiji offered her a smile that conveyed just what he thought of this farce. "Don't work too hard, Mother." He slid the door aside and stepped out into the sunshine. It was almost a relief to close the door behind him, blocking out the sight of her. The odds were high that she would have someone follow him, as he was her only son nowadays, but that didn't mean he couldn't think of the ayakashi 'search' as an escape.

Day in and day out, clan-related matters were drilled into his head. An age-old hierarchy of rules, regulations, and how to be the best little figurehead he had every right to be. He was led to believe he would have absolute control, but that wasn't true. He was supposed to be an untouchable prince, but he was merely someone who possessed all the skill and held none of the cards to play the game. The laws of the Matoba made sure of that. And to defy those laws meant treason.

In the future, he would be like his mother: treated with respect and then sneered at behind the facades. The new clans despised the olden ways, seeing them as out-dated. While that wasn't wrong, neither was it right. The main problem with such an old-fashioned clan was its inability to adapt to the times. They weren't willing to change, and Seiji hated them for it. Because of them, he had lost the most precious thing in his life, and he couldn't get it back. No matter how many times he ventured into hell, what was lost would stay lost.

The sun overhead mocked him: warm and bright and so very much alive. He dismissed the idea of catching a train and opted to venture into the forest nearest the manor. Dark, cold, and unwelcoming suited him better than some far off place in the sun.

His search could not begin, however, until he had an idea of where to look. Once he had that, he could waste time. No one said he had to catch a strong ayakashi on the first day of the hunt. A loophole in those never-ending customs.

For his plan to work, it required the aid of one of the youkai contracted under him, despite his reluctance to depend on such things. Particularly the one he was about to call, but it had a good nose for tracking and that was what he needed. The quicker he scouted for prey, the sooner he could nap in one of those trees above him.

"Come out, Inugami," ordered Seiji once he had reached the outskirts of the forest. "I have a job for you."

A dog-eared man appeared from thin air and bowed low in subservience. "What can I do for you today, Master?"

Seiji wasn't fooled by the sickly sweet voice or beatific smile. Beast youkai were known as tricksters and weren't to be trusted. They took the form of humans, pretending to be something they could never be. Some even had the detestable ability to appear human before those who couldn't and shouldn't see them.

"Today," Seiji began, his tone shockingly even given how much he loathed the thing in front of him, "you are to find an ayakashi more powerful than yourself. You have until sundown to lure it here." He wasn't expecting much, but he made sure to add, "Failure will meet with punishment if you waste my time."

The fake smile dropped into a feral snarl, revealing pointed teeth, and the youkai growled, "Do not ask for impossible things, brat."

From the folds of his black yukata, Seiji pulled out a piece of paper with a marking on it and started to chant. A fierce howl ripped through the forest, and Seiji stopped. "What was that, Inugami?"

"I'll be here by sundown," the youkai ground out through tightly clenched teeth.

Seiji grinned as the paper crumbled and faded away, its job done. He would have preferred to see a youkai do the same, but that would be asking too much, indeed. "Good. Don't make me wait too long, my dear servant."

The beast sent him a scathing look before leaving. There were five hours until sundown, hardly enough time to find what Seiji wanted, but it would be enough if Inugami found something that could keep him entertained.

Asleep in the highest boughs of an oak tree, Seiji was having a pleasant dream. There was laughter and an awe-filled voice, and he had found what he had lost. A dream was all it would ever be. A piercing scream shattered it far too easily.

When he jolted awake, he had to grab onto the firm branch below him to keep from swaying unsteadily. Then he looked down and the sight caused him to rub at his eyes instead. Surely he was still dreaming because Inugami wasn't _that_ stupid. The events unfolding on the forest floor weren't erased by that faint hope and he was forced to climb down from his tree. Along the way, he shouted, "Let the boy go, Inugami, or there will be repercussions."

Inugami reluctantly retracted his death grip on the boy's throat and simpered, "But Master, he could use the discipline."

Glaring at the youkai, Seiji leaped from the last branch and pulled another piece of paper as he did so. "Watch your tongue. Or I'll cut it out." The beast backed away and the boy struggled to sit up, a hand on his bleeding throat. "How bad is it?" Seiji asked, taking a step closer to inspect the wound. The boy curled in on himself, refusing to show it, but now that Seiji looked at the boy properly - "Are you a girl?"

That seemed to earn a reaction. The kid lifted his head a little and replied, regardless of how weak his voice sounded, "Does a girl usually where a boy's uniform?" To be honest, Seiji had seen weirder things, but he didn't answer like that. He took advantage of the boy's exposed neck and grabbed him by the hair. All in an attempt to study the injury his contracted ayakashi had caused. Thankfully, the beast had missed the carotid artery and the bleeding was light. It would clot soon and the boy would be fine. "Looks like you were lucky," he said dismissively.

He let go of his hold on the boy - and then the boy moved as far back as possible before hitting a tree. Seiji chuckled at the sight. "Are you lost?" he ended up asking. When he received no response from the boy, none that wasn't trembling, he turned to Inugami and reissued his question as a demand, "Tell me why you led this boy astray."

"You haven't noticed?" The beast smiled widely, showing off its teeth. "He's a powerful ayakashi, Master."

Seiji wasn't that easily convinced. It was true, the boy gave off a strange aura, but it was fundamentally human and it put his mind at ease. "You got him from the nearby middle school, didn't you? He does seem to possess power, especially if he can see you, but he is not what I asked you to bring me." He flourished the piece of paper still at his disposal, prepared to punish the demon who thought itself smarter than him, but then he noticed something. The boy was watching him. "You should cover your ears and shut your eyes."

The last time he had said something like that was long, long ago. He didn't dislike the feeling.

Perhaps he would have to keep the boy around.

Then he began to chant and the howls of a beast in pain eroded his hearing. He settled for watching the boy, and the boy had obeyed him. His eyes were shut, his ears were covered, and he had huddled in on himself once more.

Seiji had found something interesting, even if it wasn't what he had lost.


	2. The Deal

Seiji paced his room, impatient. Waiting was something he didn't like when he had something to look forward to - and right now, he did. He had a new toy, so to speak. And it was a rarity to find someone who piqued his interest.

"I cleaned out the wound," the voice of an old woman interrupted his endless pacing. "Do you have a yukata that could fit him? Perhaps you could offer him a bath and fresh clothes."

It wasn't a bad idea, but the frightened look on the boy's face deterred those plans. "I'll look for one," promised Seiji, "but right now, I'd just like to speak with him. You don't have to worry about running a bath for us, Nanase-san."

The old woman raised her eyebrows. "Who said anything about me running a bath for _you_, young master?" From her tone, he could tell she was teasing him, so he didn't read too deeply into the comment and chuckled. She was one of the very few clan members who had that privilege - because she was one of the few he trusted.

"Very well. You don't have to worry about running a bath for our guest. If you could leave us?" He wasn't too pleased at the way the boy refused to step into the room, but Nanase solved the problem. With a little push from her, the boy stumbled forward. The door shut behind him before he could object. "Alone at last," Seiji stated in satisfaction. "Have a seat."

The boy timidly took a seat - and it was next to the door. Disregarding a chair or cushion or anything else offered to him. An amused smirk curled on Seiji's lips, and he opted to take a seat on the floor too, straight in front of the boy. Two could play at this game.

"Your name?" Seiji demanded more than asked. "Ah, but that's rude of me." He didn't sound repentant, but the boy wasn't bothered by that. "I haven't introduced myself, have I?"

"You haven't," agreed the boy, and pressed his back firmly against the wall, as if he could melt into it if he pressed hard enough. "And I shouldn't talk to strangers."

"Too late for that," Seiji dryly intoned, "and I'm afraid I'll be troubling you a while longer. So if I could have a name to call you by?"

To his annoyance, the boy wasn't willing to share. Not until, "You tell me yours first."

So the kid wasn't as absent-minded as he looked, realizing Seiji was reluctant to share his too. Names were power, after all - but the boy surely didn't know that. "My name is Matoba Seiji. You are?"

Warily, the boy touched the bandage wrapped around his neck. No doubt debating whether it was a good idea to tell the truth or not. Too bad the kid had such honest eyes, regardless of how sad they looked. "Natsume," the boy finally said, and he left it at that.

The name sounded familiar, but Seiji couldn't remember where he had heard it mentioned. He would have to ask Nanase later and see if she recognized it. "You don't have a given name, Natsume-kun?"

"You don't need to know," Natsume mumbled quietly, bringing his knees up to his chest. "You won't call me by it, anyway."

"I would if you wanted me to," cajoled Seiji. The boy appeared skeptical, about as much as he appeared defensive. "I don't mean any harm in it. I just want to be your friend." He got to his knees and moved closer, studying Natsume intently. Trying to figure out what was different about him.

Natsume slapped his hand when he went to touch the boy's face, and his fingers skirted soft strands of hair. Oddly colored hair, at that. It was a pale brown, nearly silver in the proper lighting. In the forest, he had seen it. It wouldn't have been wrong to describe the boy as otherworldly. With those golden eyes and lithe body, it was possible to think of him as a cat youkai.

Immediately, he banished the thought. Natsume was human - a beautifully stained, doll-like human. He wouldn't disgrace him by comparing him to a youkai. "Do you not want a friend, Natsume-kun?"

Those words seemed to stir something in the boy. There was a sudden flash of want in those honest eyes - but then it was gone and Natsume was looking away, shaking his head. "Don't need any. I'm fine alone."

Seiji placed his thumb against the concealed injury on Natsume's neck and _pushed_. The boy gasped and instinctively kicked out, but Seiji caught his foot. This was entertaining. "Yes, like you would have been fine bleeding to death." He dropped the foot and the boy quickly retracted it, glaring.

"You said it was fine!" Natsume shouted - actually _shouted_. He hadn't known the boy was capable of it. Did he have a short-temper, then?

"I lied," stated Seiji carelessly. "You should thank me for making sure you didn't die."

The boy mumbled, "But you weren't the one who took care of me." _And it was your weird creature that attacked me,_ went unsaid, to which Seiji was grateful. He wouldn't have been able to argue his way out of that one.

"I did bring you here, though," reminded Seiji, "doesn't that warrant a thank you?"

Grudgingly, Natsume said, "Thank you." And then he stood up, looking down on Seiji - and that would have bothered him, if it wasn't Natsume doing such a thing. "Can I go now? Please? I really need to get home."

Seiji leaned back on his arms, a languid smile gracing his face. "That depends."

"On what?" wondered Natsume, tentative and cautious, trying to imagine what he was getting into.

"On whether I see you tomorrow or not. Shall we make a deal?" When the boy began to shake his head, rejecting the offer, he insisted, "Or I could wait outside your school. Maybe even follow you home. You don't know me, do you? Careful, Natsume-kun, you might make me angry."

The not-so-subtle threat did the trick and Natsume sighed, "Fine. What kind of deal did you have in mind?"

"Nothing much. You see strange things, don't you? I could protect you from them." With that, Natsume's attention was his, completely. "They bother you, torment you. Make it impossible to have friends. You must hate them. I hate them, too."

Natsume's gaze fell to the floor, hiding his eyes. "You don't know anything about me. Why would you help me?"

"Because we are the same." It was worth it. To see those shocked doe-eyes, and the way the boy looked at nothing but him. For a simple sentence to earn such a response from Natsume, it was truly worth it. "Let me help you."

"What is it you want from me?" Natsume didn't like sweet talk, apparently. Too bad.

Nevertheless, it wasn't a complete failure. He had sparked the boy's interest, at the very least, because Natsume never would have asked that otherwise.

Standing and dusting off his clothes, Seiji casually admitted, "I want your help with something in return." He stepped closer, uncomfortably close to Natsume, and whispered, "I want you to be bait."

Natsume accepted that, only asking, "You'll keep your promise?"

Seiji didn't know what to make of this boy. One moment, he was angry, and the next, he was too trusting. "Of course," assured Seiji, and he wondered how long he could keep his promise.

For now, he walked over to his desk and opened a drawer, grabbing something inside it. Then he tossed it to Natsume and instructed, "Wear that."

It was a pendant, a small stone with a hole in the middle. It had been blessed by a goddess. A black cord ran through the center and it could be worn around the neck. It was the last reminder of his past.

Natsume slid it over his head and tentatively lowered it to its place around his throat. The blue of the stone contrasted harshly with the white of the bandages, but somehow, it made a nice fit. A precious stone for a precious person. Or something like that. Seiji chuckled at the thought. Well, he had to protect what he wanted to protect. No one else would.

"I'll come pick you up at school, starting tomorrow, so wait for me," Seiji continued his instructions.

"Wait! You said you wouldn't show up at school if I agreed to this deal," accused Natsume, but there was no real bite behind his words - and that meant Seiji didn't take it seriously.

"Well, I lied. You might want to get used to that, Natsume-kun."

Natsume crossed his arms, defensive once more. "Can I take back agreeing to this?"

"Oh, did I forget to mention that lovely necklace doubles as collar? You're mine. Whoops." Seiji's smile was more than a little cruel, and it only widened when Natsume blanched and grabbed at the pendant, struggling to get it off. It didn't budge. "I'm the only one that can take that off," explained Seiji, "so be a good boy and play along."

When Natsume's nails dug into his bandages and a liquid red began to bleed through, Seiji stopped smiling. He moved back to the boy's side and grabbed his wrists, pulling them away and preventing any further damage. "Stop it. I told you, didn't I? You can't trust a thing I say. Well," he let go once Natsume had settled down, "it _does_ only come off when I remove it, but that's a precaution most amulets have. The giver protects the receiver. Do you understand?" He removed the necklace, putting the boy at ease, and discoverd to his surprise that Natsume was willing to let him brush a few stray hairs from his face afterwards. Being this gentle with someone, he had forgotten how good it could feel.

"You have a twisted sense of humor," Natsume stated, and he was frowning. "I don't like you."

_Now who's lying?_ Seiji thought. "You'll learn to love me. See you tomorrow, Natsume-kun." He leaned over and opened the door, giving Natsume the freedom he desperately sought. Then he handed him the pendant and smiled. "It's your choice to wear this or not. But I wasn't lying about one thing, you know. It _will_ protect you."

Natsume left without saying goodbye, but he did take the pendant. It was a start. For the both of them.


	3. Learning

As bored as Seiji had been the day before, he was actually looking forward to today. He had slept well, eaten a decent meal, and now he was ready to go 'hunting' - or to be perfectly honest, he was ready to kill time until his meeting with Natsume. And he knew the best place for that - the archery field. No one would object to him practicing, as he rarely felt in the mood to do anything of the sort.

The field was empty when he arrived, the early risers having already finished. He had a few hours to himself then, before the latecomers put in an appearance. The shed to the left of the field was Seiji's current destination, as his bow was housed in there along with the rest, despite his objections. It was a normal bow, no matter how it was turned or held, but to him, it was the difference between life and death. His choice weapon.

He only felt truly safe, truly whole, with his bow in his hands. It had protected him more times than he could name. Pulling it from the rack, he grabbed a quiver of arrows to use and made his way to the closest target. It was a badly beaten practice dummy, but it was Seiji's favorite. He had created it together with his brother, years ago. They had tried to make it look like the scariest youkai they had seen, but it had ended up looking like a clown - and it had grown worse with age. Discolored straw stuck up in odd places and the clothing was falling apart. The painted face from years gone was faded and smudged, an eerily resemblance to the clown they had built in the past.

Notching an arrow, he shot its head off and watched the past crumble, as it did every day. He was going to remake it, from the bottom up. If the Matoba clan was the lock, then Natsume was the key. He could use the boy. He could reshape the clan. He could become something more than a puppet on a string, dancing to someone else's tune.

Shooting another arrow, he aimed straight for the heart.

"Why, young master, you're actually practicing?" He didn't break form to respond, positioning an arrow and letting it fly. "What brought this on?"

Seiji turned, his drawn bow dropping from its seamless form, and smiled as he said, "Natsume." This worked out nicely; he could see what Nanase knew of the boy.

His clan member frowned in thought and readjusted her glasses. "That name …" To Seiji's disappointment, she finished that sentence with, "It belongs to the boy from yesterday, doesn't it?"

"Yes," he admitted, "that's all he would tell me. Do you know of any Natsume families that live around this area?"

"For you to be this interested, just what is he?" mused Nanase, folding her arms across her chest. "He seemed a normal, overly polite boy to me. What are you seeing that I don't, young master?"

"That's just it," Seiji began, returning his attention to his practice target as he notched an arrow, "he can see. He saw Inugami." He pulled the bowstring taunt and then let go, releasing the arrow and hitting his intended target, which was the arrow that had already pierced the heart. "He could see it clearly with those eyes of his."

"How do you know?" questioned Nanase. "Perhaps he felt the presence of that mutt of yours. There's no guarantee he saw anything. You would be better off making amends with the boy and leaving him be. Let him live his own life."

That wasn't relevant to his interests, so he disregarded the idea. "No, I think I'll keep him around. There's something about him, something different, and I want him to join our clan."

Nanase sighed, probably giving up hope that she could sway his thoughts. She was right. Seiji didn't know the meaning of 'leave well enough alone'. Anyone else would have seen Natsume Takashi, patted the boy on the head, and sent him on his merry way. Seiji saw Natsume Takashi, patted the boy on the head, and kept him tied to him on a finely concealed leash. It wouldn't do for such a useful, unpolished tool to stray too far.

"Then I have a warning for you," Nanase changed tactics as Seiji let loose another arrow, "and it's from your mother." The next arrow missed the target altogether and fell limply to the ground. Seiji scowled and broke form to retrieve the arrow. "Be careful not to lose what you've found."

After picking up the arrow, it snapped from the force he held it with and Seiji stared at it, gaze unfocused. "She should be careful, too, or what I've found may shake the very foundation our clan stands on."

Uncrossing her arms, Nanase waved one hand dismissively. "The boy is no threat to us. Do what you will with him. I only ask that you not permanently scar the boy. That bite mark from the mutt is going to take time to heal."

Seiji tossed the broken pieces aside and smiled. "I'll try."

* * *

Natsume wasn't at the front gates of the middle school, so Seiji went around back - and there he was. If this was the best Natsume could do at sneaking away, he had a lot to learn. Crouching down to the feet sticking out of a large bush, he said, "Found you. Are you hiding from someone, Natsume-kun?"

When the boy, without having to be told, came out of the bush, he was surprised to see the scratches along the child's face. Then he saw the arm, wrapped tightly in bandages and held protectively against his chest; another oddity he hadn't been expecting. He knew Inugami hadn't caused that. Anger settling onto his face, Seiji demanded, "What happened to you?"

It worried him more that he could see the pendant peeking out from beneath Natsume's uniform. This wasn't the doing of an ayakashi, then, and he wasn't sure what to do with that information. It was even more awkward when Natsume lied, saying, "Nothing." Then an expression of relief crossed the boy's face, out of place and odd, but it was gone far too quickly. "You actually came."

"Of course," Seiji said, offended. He stood up and offered the boy his hand. "Come, let's get you cleaned up."

Natsume refused the help as he got off the ground. At his full height, the boy barely reached Seiji's shoulders, but being upright seemed to put the boy at ease - as well as the fact that he didn't have to depend on anyone. Seiji briefly wondered if he could break the boy of that habit.

"Are we going back to your home?" asked Natsume, almost shyly, as he followed after Seiji's quick strides.

"The Matoba residence," Seiji corrected. "I wouldn't call it my home."

It was silent until they reached the outskirts of the forest that separated the Matoba manor from the school. Within the shadows of the trees, Natsume seemed confident enough to ask, "Then what is it, if it isn't a home?"

A good question, but Seiji hadn't thought of what to call it, if not a home. He finally admitted on a whisper, "I don't know."

The boy smiled, but it was a thin, broken parody of a smile. "Maybe we are alike, Matoba-san."

For some reason, Seiji didn't want to hear that.

* * *

A faint steam wafted from the bath, the water warm and comfortable, and it felt good on Seiji's overworked muscles. It had been a while since he had practiced that long. He would have been enjoying the bath more if it wasn't for Natsume, who seemed like a lost sheep, not sure what to do with himself.

"Get in. There's plenty of room," Seiji insisted, but the boy - with his feral cat look - looked ready to bolt at the slightest provocation. Sighing, Seiji motioned with his hand for the boy to come closer, which Natsume did, reluctant as could be. "At least wash off. You can do that with a towel on." He handed the boy a scrub brush and soap and put the boy to work on making himself presentable.

Meanwhile, he relaxed in the water and let his tired body unwind.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but Natsume brought his attention to it when he said, "I'm sorry I took so long, but … um." Cutting his eyes to see out of his peripheral, he couldn't help but let out a laugh at the sight of Natsume practically covered in soap bubbles.

"You might want to rinse off," suggested Seiji, quelling his laughter into chuckles and chuckles into clearing his throat, staving off further amusement. "Do you need some help?"

The boy glared, clearly not agreeing to that, and rinsed off without getting into the tub. It was if he had been waiting for permission to even touch the water. Seiji filed that away, since it was another thing about Natsume that he would have to look into.

Once the boy was bubble free and Seiji was done soaking, he threw a towel over the boy's head and grabbed one for himself, wrapping it around his waist after he had dried off. "Now, for clothes." He studied Natsume's thin frame - and it was a little _too_ thin. He could count the boy's ribs. With clothes on, it hadn't been that noticeable, but this … "And you're staying for dinner," he didn't leave any room for argument, "so tell me your number and I'll inform your parents."

"My parents are gone," Natsume said, but Seiji couldn't see what kind of face he was making from beneath the towel. He imagined it was a lonely expression, though, a face that could break hearts, but he also thought it would be beautiful. Like picking up a piece of sea glass, holding it up to the sun, and seeing through the opaque coloring. It was still transparent, as easy to understand as its smoothed edges, but it could be painted, reused, made into something else. He was starting to understand what it was about Natsume that fascinated him so.

"Then your guardians," dismissed Seiji, and that was the end of it. He didn't pry, as much as he wanted to know more, because Natsume would open up to him in time, a clean slate to be steeped in color.

* * *

The yukata swallowed Natsume's fragile form, large and too much for his small body. Seiji folded up the sleeves, bundling them around the boy's elbows, and then pinned up the bottom, so he wouldn't step on the fabric and trip. "It's just until your uniform is cleaned," reminded Seiji when Natsume gave him that _I don't like this_ look that he was so good at giving.

"You don't have to do that," the boy mumbled, "and I -" Unconsciously, he was rubbing at his injured arm, which he still hadn't explained. "I shouldn't stay for dinner. It will cause trouble for my relatives."

Seiji played with the pendant around Natsume's neck, pretending as if he hadn't heard. "I don't care if I cause them trouble. You're staying for dinner. You can stay forever if you like."

"Please don't joke," Natsume said quietly, and he pushed Seiji's hand away - but it wasn't the rough treatment of yesterday, where he had been slapped, kicked, and yelled at. This Natsume seemed scared and attempting to put on an act. _I'm okay. I don't need anyone._ The only part that hadn't changed was the act.

"I can hardly use you for anything as you are now," declared Seiji, "so you either stay and eat - possibly explain what happened to you - or I am going to take back my side of the deal."

Natsume clutched at the pendant, eyes noticeably widening, and said, "Don't."

"Then stay," Seiji commented, flippant. Then he stood and stretched. His own black yukata fluttered around him, fitting him perfectly. "I like you, Natsume-kun."

He wondered if the boy had ever heard those words before, because he was turning an awfully bright shade of pink. "I still don't like you, Matoba-san."

That didn't stop the boy from saying his name with such reverence. Although - "You can call me Seiji."


	4. Stepping Stone

After getting off the phone with Natsume's supposed 'relatives', Seiji found it harder to contain his anger than ever before. The woman had made it seem like Natsume was constantly causing her trouble, always bringing some new disaster. To her, Natsume was a chore she didn't want to be responsible for, or that was the impression he had from their short conversation. Worst of all, she had sounded drunk.

Quelling the urge to slam the door behind him when he made it back to his room, he took a seat across from Natsume and tried in vain to appear calm. It wasn't working. "You live with a woman like that?" At least it hadn't come out as condescending. He didn't want Natsume to further withdraw from him. It wasn't _Natsume_ he was furious at, after all. It was that woman and her inability to see what was before her. Natsume wasn't an ayakashi to be ignored. He was a human being. He had feelings. He had untapped potential to be something amazing. And he was exactly what Seiji needed, foolish humans be dammed.

Actually, this could work in his favor. If Natsume not only hated ayakashi, but humans - well, there was definitely potential. Lots and lots.

Natsume kept his head bowed as he poured tea for the both of them, refusing to answer as he concentrated on his task. There was food also spread across the table that Nanase had been kind enough to procure for the two of them, enabling a private meal together. Neither of them had taken a bite, however, too caught up in their own, internal worlds.

When at last Natsume had finished and raised his gaze to meet Seiji's, there was a determined glint to them that the older boy didn't quite understand. "Yes, I live with her. She is my aunt. My family. Please do not speak ill of her, regardless of what you have assumed."

Seiji raised his tea pointedly and took a sip. "Splendid. Then let's not speak of family." He set his cup back down and trailed a finger along the edge, wondering what neutral ground they could talk about that didn't include family, school, or ayakashi. Something that wouldn't bring up barriers between them when Seiji was trying to knock them down. Perhaps - "Do you have any hobbies, Natsume-kun?"

The boy hesitated with his cup halfway to his lips before gingerly taking a sip. He seemed to consider it, and then he admitted quietly, "I like drawing." The words came out uncertain and Seiji wondered if there was a reason for that. "My homeroom teacher says … but you don't really want to hear about this, do you?" To distract from what he was about to say, Natsume hastily drank more of his tea, eyes glued to his cup and far away from Seiji's questioning gaze.

"You underestimate how much you interest others, Natsume-kun. Feel free to continue," the older boy prompted, reaching for a biscuit to nibble on while he waited. He snapped the treat in half, and then offered a smirk when the boy met his gaze again with that determined glint.

"If I bore you in the long run, don't say I didn't warn you," Natsume said with as much bravado a young teenager could muster. "Well, it's probably not what you were expecting, but my homeroom teacher says I … er, speak more to others through my art than when I …"

"When you tell them the truth and shout there's something scary right beside you?" Seiji didn't have to be a mind reader to understand where Natsume was coming from. He, too, had learned at a young age that not everyone could see what he saw, that not everyone would believe him, and worst of all - he had to protect everyone equally, even those foolish humans that thought they were better than him.

Instantly, Natsume fell quiet and didn't speak again for quite some time, taking his time to eat dinner, bit by bit. While it was encouraging to see him eating without having to be told, Seiji worried the boy was only using it as an excuse to be remain silent. It wouldn't surprise him. Natsume wasn't going to completely trust him from the start, which only made this all the more entertaining.

"I apologize if I said something wrong," Seiji began, fixing his own plate while he spoke, "but you have to understand that our ability must be treated as a gift, for it has provided us with this connection to each other. Don't you find that wonderful?"

Almost angrily, the boy caught his gaze and the determination had turned into a blaze of amber. "What do you want, Matoba-san? What is it that you're really after?" Then he seemed to recall what Seiji had said the other day and added, "What exactly am I going to be bait _for_?"

Seiji set his chopsticks down in an elegant yet over-exaggerated way, smiling slowly. "Smart boy. Asking questions now and refusing to wait - a characteristic I quite like in you." A flush spread across the boy's cheeks, whether from anger or the compliment was undetermined. "You see, my clan has many traditions. One of those being I must lure in a strong ayakashi, trap it, and make it my own. If I have a strong enough servant, my standing when I take over the clan will remain untainted. My pride, as you can probably tell, is hinging on whether I find this 'strong ayakashi' or not." The distaste in his voice must have bled through because Natsume was looking at him in a strange way, brows furrowed and muscles tense.

"But you don't even want youkai around you, why would you -"

Cutting Natsume off, Seiji explained, "There are many reasons to do what I dislike, but the main cause is that regardless of what I think or want, I will become the Head of the Matoba clan. This is a reality, a fact, that I have already accepted. However, no one has forbidden me from doing things my own way. You, Natsume-kun, are just the start of that." Ending there, Seiji said the traditional _itadakimasu_ and feasted on the food he had gathered upon his plate. For some reason, it tasted even better than usual. Perhaps because he was no longer alone.

It wasn't until after their meal that Natsume spoke up once more, whispering a barely heard, "You didn't explain anything, though. Not really."

And Seiji couldn't help but laugh. It was true, and Natsume was maybe too smart for any of Seiji's plans to work - but it was the thrill of the unknown factors in the equation that kept Seiji moving forward.

* * *

A week passed before Seiji could see Natsume again, at the boy's own request. This time he had let Natsume choose the place and they were currently enjoying ice cream as they sat, side by side, on the swings of the local park. At least he had found something that Natsume liked, if the happy curve of eyes as he ate his ice cream was any indication. He had to remind himself that Natsume was still a kid, still enjoyed the smaller things in life, but the part of him that had never really grown up was enjoying the ice cream as well. There was never a bad season for ice cream, despite the chill in the air.

"How is school?" Seiji decided to break the tranquil environment they had established. The last of the ice cream had disappeared and all that was left was conversation. Awkward conversation at that, given the peculiar look on Natsume's face as he looked down at his still bandaged arm.

"Fine," the boy automatically lied, and Seiji knew enough about lies to know when someone was telling him one.

"Fine as an alley cat that lost a fight," muttered Seiji, but the boy was too sensitive and caught on to what he was saying, bristling at once and reinforcing the cat-like image in the older boy's mind. "Would the kitten like to learn how to use its claws?" He was fishing now, trying to determine how much Natsume disliked other people, and it worked.

"You can teach me to fight back?" Natsume wondered, confused but not against the idea. Good, there was the stepping stone they needed.

"Of course. Remember when I spoke of hobbies the other day? Well, mine happens to be archery. I can teach you a few tricks that you might be able to get away with if you're clever enough."

Natsume's eyes lit up in excitement. "You won't go back on your word? You'll teach me?"

"I'm a harsh teacher," Seiji forewarned, but he was already smirking at the prospect of teaching his favorite sport to an eager student. Then he remembered the boy's still healing injuries and sighed. "But it will have to wait until you are well." He scrutinized Natsume further and scrunched up his nose. "Are you eating properly or will I have to invite you to dinner more often? You're as scrawny as a mouse!"

"Or an under-fed alley cat," mocked Natsume, using the older boy's words against him. "Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself." Something about the way Natsume trailed off at the end set Seiji on edge. "I _have_ to be able to take of myself," he continued softly, speaking more to himself than to anyone else now.

Seiji kicked off from the sand and swung high, gently falling back before pushing forward, always moving forward. "All right. Now don't just sit there, let's see who can swing higher, shall we?" He made sure to add just the right amount of challenge in his voice to spark the other boy into competition. It worked, perhaps a little too well.

Natsume was eager to distance himself from thoughts that Seiji had yet to understand.


End file.
